An add-on, zFace, uses the Bing search engine to append photographs of people to guest lists, allowing party organizers to confirm the identities of prospective attendees.

Using Zkipster and zFace together, organizers can check in guests to their events, and do so with the confidence that partygoers are who they say they are.

"It closes the door for gate-crashing," said Zkipster co-founder David Becker.

Becker, who started the New York company in 2012, said the idea for the application was born out of a frustrating experience he and an associate had while throwing a party in Zurich, Switzerland, in 2008.

"We had long lines, long waiting times -- it was really bad for the guests," said Becker, who is Swiss. He said that a 500-guest party requires a roughly 25-page paper list, which can be cumbersome. "It was a challenge and remains a huge challenge."